


Let's Go Largo

by Myoneloveismusic



Series: Piano 'Verse [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Classical Music, Coffee Shop, Happy Ending, Jazz Music, M/M, Music, Mutual Pining, piano duels, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-25 01:26:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10753869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Largo: slow, when referring to a tempoJason loved playing the piano. It practically saved him and gave him something to live for. Jazz, ragtime, blues, boogie woogie. He loved it all. Except classical. He could often be found playing in the coffee shop owned my his friends.The appearance of a certain blue-eyed classical pianist shakes things up. But in a good way.





	Let's Go Largo

**Author's Note:**

> Mood music: Ed Sheeran’s “What do I know?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B9J3lEyffA
> 
> Music terminology used: forte: loud; piano: soft, quiet; rondo: played in a round or circular pattern; ritardando: to slow the tempo, slow down
> 
> I also encourage you to follow the pieces that are linked throughout the fic. 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Treble Espresso was everything that Jason could ever ask for in a coffee shop. It wasn’t too small, but still hidden away from the main streets of Gotham. A well-kept secret among the rest of the shops that hipsters took for themselves. But Treble wasn’t for them. It was for Jason and other music and non-music lovers alike.

It welcomed jazz artists, blues groups, ragtime bands, hell, Jason was pretty sure that a folk group had booked the place so they could play one night. It had acoustic sessions and open mic nights. And what Jason loved the most, was that it had an upright piano. And that the place was owned by two of Jason’s friends, of course.

The piano was in pretty bad shape when Kori and Roy had first taken on the lease in the hopes of opening their own coffee shop. It was out of tune, the paint was scratched, and at some point or other a group of mice had made their home inside of it. Hammers were missing and strings were broken, but beneath it all and how beat up it had become, Jason saw how beautiful it was.

So while Roy and Kori worked on renovating the old space and revamping everything to suit their needs and the needs of Gotham’s coffee lovers, Jason got to work on the piano. He’d been forced to gut most of it and buy all of the replacement parts, but the first time that he’d been able to sit down on a plastic folding chair and do some quick jazz improvisation…it was all worth it. The sound came out clear and perfectly in tune. It had almost brought tears to Jason’s eyes, reminding him of the first time that he’d been able to sit down and really _play_ a piano.

And Roy and Kori were ecstatic that he’d gotten it working because it meant that they could request all kinds of songs while they worked.

From there, rather than try and find a nice black finish to go over all of the cuts and scratches, Jason had dipped into all of the bright color paints that were being used for the walls. He swirled the colors and painted galaxies. Brought stars into existence and made rainbows. Dripped colors down the sides and brought new life to something that any other person might have thrown away, completely missing the character that existed underneath the rough appearance.

Even though Jason largely considered the piano his, anyone who was at Treble Espresso was welcome to play, but few felt up to the task. Whenever Jason popped in, he’d always willingly sit down and play at least one tune, or someone would coerce him into to doing it. He loved it. Performing always gave him a rush. Kori had told him many times that he should try and do more than the monthly gigs that he put on Treble and branch out to other places, but he never could find an excuse to.

~

Jason tried to stifle a yawn as he pushed the front door open. It had been a rather late night for him between working full time and keeping up with his college classes, but it was almost the end of the week which meant he’d soon have a break.

“Hi Jason!” Kori greeted brightly even as she was in the middle of preparing drinks for a pair of waiting customers.

“Afternoon Kori. You’ve got quite the crowd today,” he said as he walked up to the counter.

“What, no hello for me? I’m hurt,” Roy said, carrying a fresh tray of pastries out from the back to restock the displays in front.

“Hi Roy,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“That was so insincere. I’m hurt. Really. I don’t know how I’m ever going to come back from this.”

“Eat a couple of pastries and you’ll be fine.”

“Just ignore him. He’s a little stressed with the unusually high number of customers today,” Kori said, walking back over to him as the customers she’d been serving moved away to try and find seats. “What can I get you today?”

“Something with a lot of caffeine. I had a late night last night and I’m exhausted.”

“Sounds like you could use the namesake,” Kori said, smirking.

“As much as I’d rather have my usual green tea, I’m going to have to take you up on that this time because I really need the caffeine.”

“Great. And while you’re waiting you can play us a little something.”

“No, really, I’m exhausted…”

“Guys, Jason says he’s going to play us something!” Roy called out across the shop.

The regulars that knew about Jason cheered and applauded.

“Come on, consider this payment for your coffee,” Kori pleaded.

“You know that I have no problem paying for coffee. You guys work hard to run this place.”

“We know. But we also love hearing you play.”

Jason sighed, his shoulders sagging with it. “Fine,” he conceded. “But only if we also do ‘Autumn Leaves.’”

Kori grinned. “You got it. Now go play.”

Jason huffed, but couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at his lips when he turned and saw his piano. The cover was already pushed back, leaving the gleaming white keys to shine in the sunlight. He pulled the bright, yellow stool that they used instead of a piano bench back and sat down. He heard the rustling of several people as they stood from their spots and came to sit or stand around him.

He closed his eyes, trying to decide what he wanted to play. He wanted something upbeat. Liked keeping things that way, in fact. For a minute he considered ‘Crazy Blues,’ but pushed that one to the side. He could save that for later. Feeling a little inspired, he decided to just go for some [upbeat jazz improv](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpvTGmGbJac) rather than a song someone else had written.

He smiled and brought his fingers over the keys, letting out one more breath before he began to move. He started fast, hands bouncing from key to key and fingers moving up and down the octaves with ease and grace.

His audience was mostly quiet, only letting out pleased sounds at his choice. About halfway through, he decided to draw back the tempo and slow things down for a minute. Jason let his fingers rest longer, relishing in every slide of his skin over the smooth white keys. He looked over his shoulder, grinning at his audience and even caught sight of a new face peeking around the rest, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Jason winked at him before picking the tempo back up.

His hands moved quickly, tracing the familiar patterns. The smile he wore was loose and happy and the joy that he got from playing almost let laughter bubble up inside of him, but that could wait. Now, he just wanted to enjoy the music. He let his shoulders sway from side to side ever so slightly as he worked his way through the last of his improvisation, letting the tempo slip just a bit to fall back into the minor key that he’d used before. It didn’t last long, though. He always liked finishing his playing with a little bit of flair and keeping things on a high note.

His hands hovered over the keys for a minute as applause broke out around him. He grinned and looked over his shoulder at everyone watching him.

“Okay, Kori, it’s your turn now!” He called over the heads.

She rolled her eyes and walked out from behind the counter, drying her hands with the towel she was holding before slinging it over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about me,” she said, easily walking through the crowd of people to lean her elbow on the top of the piano. “You just worry about playing.”

Jason gave her a salute and laughed, resetting his hands over the keys for the [new song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT3wnfqTTgo). One of his favorite things about it was that it could be taken fast or slow depending on the mood. And he did have a tendency to keep things moving. His tempo was similar to the one he’d just used, but used much less flair. This was as much about the lyrics as the instrumental.

Once the intro that he’d set up for Kori neared its close, he nodded at her to indicate that she could start singing. Not that she needed it. They’d done this enough times that they knew exactly how to perform together.

“The falling leaves…”

Kori’s voice immediately swelled to fill the available space. More pleased murmurs broke out at the change in pace. Some people were surprised by Kori’s voice when they heard it the first time. Jason had been ecstatic the first time that he’d heard her sing because it was beautiful and strong and utterly her.

Jason let himself focus less on the words and allowed himself to just be. Allowed himself to drift along with the notes and the key changes and the tempo. He let his eyes fall closed and let himself feel the piano beneath him. Each drag of his fingers and each movement of the hammers and strings pushing and pulling inside of his prized instrument.

Everything else dimmed as they came to the end of the song. Kori’s riffs fading along with his notes. He opened his eyes slowly as thunderous applause engulfed them. He looked up and caught Kori grinning down at him and he returned it. There really was no better feeling in the world.

“I’d say that’s definitely earned you your coffee,” she said, patting him on the shoulder.

“Thanks. I should get going, too. I’m sure that I’m probably going to end up being late back from my lunch break,” he said, following her over to the counter.

Roy handed Kori a to-go cup that she passed to Jason. “Try not to work too hard. I hope that those three shots of espresso help. And come by for another session soon. Everyone’s always asking about you and they love hearing you play.”

Jason took a sip of his drink, letting the warmth seep into him. “I’ll try. Next week might work if you don’t have anyone else scheduled. I don’t think I have to work on Saturday and don’t have any big tests coming up for once.”

He waved at his friends on his way out, catching the guy from before still watching him. He was definitely a new face so maybe he’d see him around some more. Most people who stopped by Treble turned into repeat customers after the first visit. It was one of the reasons why Roy and Kori had been so successful from the start.

That didn’t matter at the moment, though. He had to get back to work.

~

Stephanie had to pull Tim back to their seats and away from the piano. He’d honestly been entranced by the whole thing. Growing up around classical music and being trained classically hadn’t given him much opportunity to explore other types of piano playing. His parents had even gone so far as to scold him the one time that they caught him searching the internet for jazz tunes.

“Were you that taken aback by that guy’s hotness?”

“What?” Tim asked, abruptly pulled from his thoughts.

“You’ve been staring off into space for a good five minutes. I think your coffee might even be cold now. If you want so badly to play the piano, just go and play it. It looks like anyone’s welcome to.”

Tim hunched his shoulders. “But everyone probably wants playing like Jason’s. I don’t have that.”

Stephanie scoffed. “Tim, you were trained classically for years. You have tons of awards from piano competitions and you got accepted into Gotham’s most prestigious conservatory. And I know that you’ve branched out since you got to the conservatory. I’ve seen it and I’ve heard it. You’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve that could even impress this crowd.”

Tim bit his lip. “I don’t know, Steph.”

“Just think about it. Maybe next time we come here you’ll have worked up the courage to play something. You could play Chopin or Mozart or Beethoven. Plus, I like this place. They have good coffee.”

“And cute customers?” Tim asked, quirking an eyebrow and taking a sip of his own coffee that he was disappointed to learn had gone cold. He made a face at it, but sighed, knowing that he’d finish it off anyway.

“Cute customers who I think you should date.”

“What?!”

“Oh, come on. I saw the way that you were looking at him. And believe me when I say that it wasn’t entirely because of the way his hands moved over those keys.”

Tim felt himself flush and cursed the fact that he had such pale skin. “Whatever. Let’s just go,” he said, standing. “I need to get back and do some more practicing before rehearsal with the orchestra.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

~

Jason was immediately on high alert the next time that he stepped foot in Treble Espresso. He heard the last notes of the piano fading in the background, but that wasn’t what bugged him. People were allowed to use the piano. He’d consented to it after doing the repair job. It was the look that Roy gave him as soon as he pushed the door open.

“What’s that look for?” he asked warily when he got to the front of the counter as quiet applause filled the space.

“You’ve got some competition on the piano.”

Jason looked over his shoulder and caught sight of a petite looking guy sitting on the stool. He turned back to Roy and shrugged. “Everyone’s allowed to play the piano. What’s so different about him?”

“He plays classical,” Kori spoke up conspiratorially from where she was handing a cup off to a blonde girl.

“He plays what?!” Jason asked, scandalized.

“Don’t sound so horrified,” the blonde spoke up, grabbing his attention. “Classical can be just as impressive as jazz or blues or boogie woogie.”

“It’s stuffy and it’s old,” Jason argued back.

“I’ll concede that some of it is. Especially Baroque. But you obviously haven’t seen what Tim can play. Hey Tim!” she called.

The guy at the piano looked over his shoulder and frowned. “Yeah, Steph?”

The girl, Steph, turned back to face Jason, smile sharp. “Play [Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody number two](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik1r_E7kJFg).”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, just do it.”

“Okay.”

Tim sounded doubtful. Jason watched as he tilted his head back slightly, hands perched over the keys. He recognized the darker opening immediately, even if he hadn’t known the title of the piece or the composer. He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, unimpressed with the simple chords and rhythms. And then things started to get a little more intense.

Tim’s fingers sped up just slightly. The music taking on a lighter, but still dark tone. It got faster and faster. One of Tim’s hands, was frantically moving to play two different chords while his other hand shifted back to use his pinky and thumb, hand stretched as wide as possible.

Jason’s eyes widened as Tim used one hand to move up and down the scale before returning to the introduction melody. He hung on to the familiar notes, making it more dramatic before it shifted again. The change in tempo coming much faster this time as Tim’s playing got an added flourish, certain notes being played with more intensity than others.

This wasn’t the type of classical that Jason had seen in his life. This was so much more. This was a representation of _life._ His lips parted as the tone of the piece changed once again and things picked up. He couldn’t take his eyes off Tim’s back. Couldn’t stop watching as his hair shifted and back moved while his hands flew across the keys. This was a type of playing that he’d never even dreamed of.

Applause exploded around the room after Tim finished with the kind of flourish that Jason was known for. Jason realized that his mouth was hanging open and forced it closed, swallowing. He turned to find Steph watching him, eyes filled with glee and smirk still in place. He scowled in response.

“Is that it?” he asked.

Steph scowled right back. “Don’t act like you’re not impressed. You think you can do better?”

“Of course,” he scoffed.

Jason stalked across the room to the piano, thankful that Tim was already standing to vacate the seat and that he wouldn’t have to shove him out of it. He sat down, thinking of what he could play and thought this was the perfect time to bring out “[Crazy Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtxRk7kzU0Q).” He shoved the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows.

He saw more than heard Steph come up and stand next to the piano. He turned his head and saw that Tim was standing next to her and he kind of hated how cute Tim was on top of his ability to work his way around a piano. He turned his attention back to his playing, letting his hands move apart from each other to settle over the keys.

There was a reason that this was his favorite. It was upbeat and had a great sound. It was one of the more simple things that he knew how to play, but still impressive. The last riff up to the top octave always gave him a reason to make finger guns and wink at whoever was standing to his right. Which was Tim. And he still did it. Because Tim was cute even if he hated himself for admitting it.

“Oh is that all?” Steph asked in the same mocking tone that Jason had used when referring to Tim.

“What you want more? I’d be more than happy to pull out some ‘[Johnny B Goode](https://youtu.be/GJIqyCJ9keA?t=14s).’” Jason said, leaning back slightly.

“I just didn’t find that half as impressive as what Tim was able to play.”

“Steph…” Tim protested.

“Classical has no place here,” Jason said, narrowing his eyes.

“Excuse me?” Tim asked, obviously taken aback by the comment.

“Classical has no place here. Keep it where it belongs: with the stuffy high classes who don’t give a shit about anything but themselves.”

Tim opened his mouth to object, but Jason silenced him by launching into his rendition. He looked at Steph, then Tim as he started to sing the lyrics. He didn’t sing often when playing the piano, mostly because he just enjoyed the act of playing. But he had his favorites. And people always put in requests to hear him sing whenever he was able to stop by for his sessions on weekends.

He loved the way he got to roll the keys while playing this piece. The different tones that it took on. The quick pace and how he got to put all of himself into it whenever he played. When Jason’s eyes drifted back to the pair of friends standing next to him, Steph was still scowling and Tim was showing open interest, as much as he was trying to school his expression so that it wouldn’t come through.

More applause sounded behind them. He thought he heard a wolf whistle or two. One of them was probably Roy. He loved egging things like this on. Steph crossed her arms.

“Classical can be just as good as that. Tim.”

“I know just the piece,” he said stepping forward.

Jason rolled his eyes, but vacated the stool. “What do I get to listen to this time?” he asked, voice heavy with sarcasm.

“[Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csjdarI3P9E),” Tim said, voice hard and…excited if Jason was reading it properly.

Jason crossed his arms, ready to be thoroughly disappointed. The piece was a higher tempo and he was disappointed at first. It wasn’t until Tim approached the end of the first theme that Jason froze. He wasn’t positive, but he thought that he caught the sound of a little swing in his playing. Before he could convince himself that he was just imagining things, the entire rhythm of the classical piece changed and Jason was faced with Tim’s jazz interpretation of it.

He scowled, because it was honestly…really good. And Jason hated to admit it, even if it was only to himself. This piece was much shorter than the other one that Tim had played, but Jason found himself never wanting it to end. He wasn’t always a fan of swing because there was a chance for it to become screwed up, but Tim executed it flawlessly.

The last chord was short and sweet and Tim pulled his hands away from the keys, turning to quirk an eyebrow at Jason. The applause was thunderous which usually never happened unless it was a night for sessions where larger crowds came in.

“I think we’re done here,” Tim said, standing from the stool and walking past Steph towards the entrance.

Steph grinned viciously at Jason before following her friend out.

Jason waited until they were out of the shop before walking back to the counter where Kori was bouncing up and down and Roy was still sporting his characteristic smirk.

“That was incredible!” Kori gushed. “The two of you could put on an amazing performance. You could be the Dueling Pianos or something.”

“No way in hell am I going to work with that guy,” Jason scoffed.

Roy chuckled. “I know this kind of thing isn’t exactly your _forte_ , but the two of you really were amazing.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “I don’t do classical.”

“No, but I bet you want to _do_ something else.”

“You’re crazy.” Jason looked between his two friends and found twin expressions on their faces. “Whatever it is you’re thinking, stop. I’m not interested in that guy.”

“Look, I know that you’re kind of _piano_ when it comes to expressing your feelings-“

“Will you stop with the music puns?!” Jason exclaimed.

Roy continued on, ignoring the outburst. “But I think you should save all of us a lot of trouble and just ask for his number like a normal person instead of going in this _rondo_ again.”

“I swear to god, Roy…” Jason threatened, making a grab for him.

Roy just laughed and held up his hands. “Let’s _ritardando_ and calm down.”

“I hate you so much,” he groaned.

“Just talk to him the next time he comes in,” Kori said calmly. “Please?”

“That’s assuming the two of us will even be here at the same time again.”

“The odds are smaller that the two of you won’t end up in the same room compared to the chances that you will. And if you can’t bring yourself to talk to him like a normal person, just do what you do best,” Kori explained.

“And what’s that?” Jason grumbled.

Roy shrugged. “Play the piano.”

~

Tim gasped as a hand grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him from where he was sitting on the piano bench. He scrambled to get his feet underneath him or risk falling on his face.

“God damn it, Tim. Making me look everywhere for you,” Steph growled.

Tim pulled away from her hand and adjusted his shirt. “You should know by now, that if I’m not with you, there’s a 99 percent chance that I’m in a practice room.”

“Well you need to stop avoiding me and stop avoiding Treble Espresso. It’s been a week. You can’t stay away forever.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Jason made it pretty clear that I’m not exactly welcome, what with my classical training and all.”

“If you’re so adamant about staying away then why are you working on…” Steph trailed off, looking around him at the sheet music propped on the piano, “Top 40 mashups and more jazz interpretations of classical pieces?”

Tim flushed and crossed his arms. “I’m bored.”

“Sure,” Steph said, obviously not buying it. “Although, usually when you get bored, you tend to just play around and record youself doing piano covers of anime music or k-pop.”

“I thought I’d branch out a little,” he said, defensively.

“Bullshit.” Steph sighed. “You know what? I don’t care if you murder me. I’m taking you back to Treble right the fuck now. It’s Saturday night, you need a break, and I need to get you set up with Mr. Cute Piano Player.”

She snagged his shirt again and started pulling him towards the door.

“Wait, Steph! My sheet music,” Tim protested as he was dragged behind her.

Steph ignored him. It would be there when he inevitably came back to practice the next day anyway. And if anyone else came into the room, they would know that it was Tim’s and would leave it alone.

~

“Ooh, here comes treble,” Roy said from where he was leaning on the opposite side of the counter from Jason.

“Will you stop it with the music puns?! And what are you talking about?” Jason looked over his shoulder and groaned. Of course Tim would show up after being gone for days. And of course it would be on one of his session nights.

“Perfect timing. Now you can ‘wow’ him with your piano playing,” Kori added, breaking into the conversation.

Jason looked over his shoulder again. Even from where he was standing, he could see that Tim was biting his lip and his hand was rubbing nervously at the back of his neck.

“He doesn’t even look like he wants to be here,” Jason commented.

“He’s probably afraid that you’re going to throw him out on his ass,” Roy huffed.

“Why? I can’t do that. I’m not an owner and I don’t work here.”

Kori rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we know that, but he doesn’t.”

Jason sighed. “Right.”

“So what are you waiting for?” Roy hissed. “Go play!”

“You think he’ll really put up with me after I shat all over classical music?”

“You won’t know unless you try and the jazz band that’s coming tonight won’t show up for another hour and won’t start playing for another hour after that. Now’s your chance. I’d rather not have to listen to you whine until Tim decides to show up again. Or gets dragged here,” Kori explained and shoved him away from the counter to further make her point.

“Fine, fine, I’m going.” Jason turned and faced the room. Everyone was still engaged in their own conversations. Tim and Steph had taken the two plush chairs that were closest to the piano. He hoped that this would make it easier. Letting out a breath, he crossed the room, the patrons immediately taking notice of his path and ending their conversations to watch him instead.

Jason sat down on the stool, staring at the keys. He glanced over at Tim who was watching him, eyes wide. He really wasn’t good at handling things like this, but he had to trust Roy and Kori. They told him to do what he does best. And if playing the piano, which started their sort-of feud could fix it, then he was damn well going to try.

He bit his lip and rested the index finger of his right hand on the first key while his other hand stayed in his lap for the moment. If he was going to go down in flames, then he was going to give it his all with ‘[Brown Eyed Girl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwTXBBU0JLo).’ And maybe change a few words if that would help his cause.

The first few presses of his finger were tentative. He was so used to diving in with both of his hands. It was why he grew in confidence as soon as he could move his other fingers over the keys. He licked his lips and let them fall open as he took a preparatory breath.

“Hey where did we go,” he began, keeping the tempo slower than what it was usually taken at. He was distantly aware that someone had squealed behind him. He thought it was Kori. Or Roy.

He kept his eyes focused on the keys in front of him for most of the first stanza. It wasn’t until he got to the end and decided that he would indeed go with the lyric changes that he turned his head to look at Tim who was wide-eyed.

“In the misty morning fog with, our hearts a thumpin’ and you,” Jason hesitated, bracing himself for any shit-storm that was going to come his way. “My blue eyed boy.” He tilted his head back in preparation for the higher note that was coming. “You my…blue eyed boy.”

When no one pulled him off the piano, or punched him from his perch on the stool, he pushed forward. He gained confidence with each new verse and each new line, letting the words roll of his tongue. His shoulders lost their tension. He was less afraid to gaze at Tim to make his point. Tim for the most part looked completely dumbstruck while Steph looked like Christmas had come early.

The rest of the room joined in on the chorus, singing out the familiar words. It brought a smile to Jason’s face, but his expression became serious as he got to the next part of the song. He wanted to put all of the feelings that had come between them into it even though they barely knew each other. He tried to draw from all of the awe that he’d experienced at Tim’s playing in the hopes that he would forgive him for the things he said.

“So hard to find my way, now that I’m all on my own. I saw you just the other day, my how you have grown.” He added a few twists to his playing, embellishing the melody probably more than necessary, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Sometimes I’m overcome thinking ‘bout, making love in the green grass, behind the stadium with you, my blue eyed boy. You my…blue eyed boy.”

Jason bit his lip and looked at Tim with hooded eyes, letting everyone else finish the chorus as he slowly let his piano playing fade out. His stomach flipped at the sight of Tim with a hand over his mouth and a bright red blush on his cheeks.

He turned on the stool to face him, running a hand through his hair even as applause swelled in the room.

“Look, Tim. I’m…sorry about the other day. You’re honestly an amazing player and I’d like to buy you a coffee sometime. If you’ll let me.”

“Of course he’ll let you!” Steph nearly screeched, grinning so wide that Jason was afraid she was going to pull a muscle in one of her cheeks.

Tim elbowed her. “I can answer for myself, Steph. And I’d love that, Jason. I really would.”

Jason smiled, utterly relieved. “Great.”

“Just one thing…” Tim said.

He frowned. “What?”

“Um…could you play that song again? The one from the other day?” Tim asked, blush returning in full force.

Jason grinned, turning back to the keys. “Absolutely.”

~

Kori was happy with her life. She had a wonderful boyfriend. She had Jason for a friend. She had a thriving coffee shop. And everyone in her life was happy.

Jason had his boyfriend. And he played the piano often. He came in for sessions.

She couldn’t ask for anything better.

And if part of her happiness came from the increase in business that the Dueling Pianos performance brought in twice a month. Well…that was for her to know, and her alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com
> 
> Twitter: twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [1\. The secret is...clarity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11040033) by [Qtya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qtya/pseuds/Qtya)
  * [1\. The secret is...clarity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11040033) by [Qtya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qtya/pseuds/Qtya)




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